When Darkness Turns to Light
by OneSongGlory73
Summary: The Doctor has been gone for so long. Will he be able to cope with the fact that Rose has moved on and grown old?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

It had been a long while since the Doctor had traveled without a companion. Martha had been fun for a while but their time together was lacking something important, Rose. He knew he was being distant, and she felt it whenever she was around him. The short answers, the sudden shutdown of emotions whenever she asked him about his past. After a few short years together she bid her farewells and though it was like he was losing a part of himself, it was nothing compared to what it felt like when he lost Rose forever.

The whirl of the engine and the bright green glow of the control panel covered him as he stood, staring blankly ahead of him. As hard as he tried he couldn't get her out of his mind but as much as it hurt he didn't want it to stop. He was knocked out of his daze when he felt the TARDIS buckle and shake and try as he might he couldn't stop it from falling quickly to the ground. The landing felt oddly familiar, but then again, he'd lost control of the TARDIS on more than one occasion. He sighed and moved to grab his jacket, throwing it over his shoulders as he pushed his way through the bright blue doors and into the sunlight.

London, why was it always London that he landed in? He sighed and looked around, the car lined streets buzzed with motion while people walked the sidewalks quickly, trying to get to their next location without delay. Deep inside he felt there was something wrong with this place, something odd that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He sighed and started walking, not really knowing where he was going but sooner or later he knew trouble would find him.

He shoved his hands into his pockets as he moved down the street, girl ahead of him catching his eye. She had glasses and dark brown hair with bright green eyes, eyes that reminded him of Rose. He stopped in his tracks and pretended to be interested in whatever was in front of him, a cart with various fruits as she passed him. She held what looked like a large book from far away but the closer she got the clearer it became that it was a file. Maybe he hadn't noticed because he was so hypnotized with her eyes. They were so much like Rose's it was almost haunting. He turned around and began following her, making sure to keep his distance and soon enough she had lead him to an almost deserted alley way. She looked around quickly and turned, knocking on a door a couple times. He watched as an id scanner popped out and she pulled a small card from her pocket and slid it through pushing the door open after it cleared her access. Within seconds the Doctor was at the door, his sonic screwdriver out and ready. The door opened easily and he walked inside, immediately stopped by a pair of security guards.

"What do ya think your doin?" one of them asked.

"I was sent here as backup", the doctor replied as he pulled out his psychic paper. "See, my credentials are all in order, now if you don't mind…"

"My mistake, sir, my mistake. I'll make sure you have no more problems" the other guard said.

The Doctor smiled and took a step forward, stopping when he saw the girl standing at the end of the hallway facing him. She had a smile almost identical to Rose's, making his heart race faster every second that passed.

"You followed me", she said holding the file against her chest.

"Well, I can spot one of our kind out in a crowd you see, so it wasn't difficult. And I'd forgotten where this place was so it was lucky I spotted you", he said with a smile.

As soon as he'd spoken the words the happy, sarcastic look had drained off her face, being replaced with one of fear combined with what seemed to be intrigue. "Our kind?"

"Yeah, you know, people who work here. Our kind?" he explained.

She nodded and turned, her long dark hair sweeping as her hips swayed slightly. "Well, from what I saw you'll be working alongside me" turning around to face him as she spoke. "For the time being anyways".

He nodded and held out his hand. "The names Smith, John Smith", he said with a smile.

"John Smith, I'm Amara Tyler. Head of research and development here at Torchwood, but I dabble in the invention of things". She smiled and tilted her head slightly at the look that had taken over the Doctors face. "Something wrong?"

"Amara Tyler? I wouldn't suppose your mothers name is Rose is it?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, it is", she replied, a bored almost annoyed tone to her voice. "And if you're going to ask me for an autograph or something of hers you can forget it. I'm done with people asking me that when they hear my name".

"What? Why would I want an autograph?" he asked, utterly bewildered at why her attitude had gone from cheery to pissy in a moments notice.

"What don't you know?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "The famous Rose Tyler, defender of the universe. Whenever anyone hears my name they go into psycho fan mode and maul me for an autograph".

The Doctor smiled. He knew Rose would be useful in this universe but he never expected it to escalate to this magnitude. He was beaming, never feeling so proud in his entire life. His Rose was a hero, doing everything he knew she could accomplish. "No, I wasn't looking for an autograph. I knew her when she was younger… or a while ago. How old is she now?"

"She'll be 56 soon, but I'm not sure if she'll make it to her birthday", she said with a frown. She looked up and saw his expression; the sadness that was illuminating from his eyes was almost unbearable. "Well, lets not waste anymore time. We've got people and planets to save right?" And with that she turned and continued her way down the hall, hoping that her sudden change of subject would help her to carry on her day.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

The Doctor moved slowly behind Amara, an unwavering look of sadness on his face. How could she not make it to her 56th birthday? She was Rose Tyler, defender of the universe, she was his Rose. It wasn't like her to just give up like that, but then again, it had been a long time. His thoughts were shaken away when he realized he was about to walk over Amara, who had stopped in front large silver elevator doors.

"Couple floors down", Amara said, smiling awkwardly as she stood, turning her attention to the number above the door.

"So Amara, that's an interesting name", The Doctor said, rocking back and forth on his toes. "Means…"

"Means eternal", Amara said smiling. "Mum thought it would be appropriate"

"Appropriate? Considering what?" he asked as he stepped into the now open elevator doors.

She stood silently, looking to him like she was trying to find the right words or debating whether or not she'd say something. There was something about this girl that was strangely familiar to him and it wasn't just because she was Rose's daughter. She had something in her that reminded him of himself, something that was unique about her that he couldn't put his finger on.

"Well, considering my father", she said quietly. Her speaking shook him from his daze and he intently turned his attention back to her. That is until he heard the word "father". Almost instantly he could feel the jealousy burning inside him. His Rose with another man was almost unbearable to think about.

"Oh? And what about him?" he asked, trying to sound as calm and not jealous as he could.

"I dunno, it was stupid to bring him up. He's not around anymore so it doesn't really matter. Doesn't change anything but it doesn't matter", she said, leaning about the cold metal to her right.

"Well how you're speaking of him tells me he does matter" he crossed his arms and looked at the girl. "I realize this might be uncomfortable, talking about this with a complete stranger but if it helps, your mother and I were very close when she was younger"

"When she was younger?" she laughed, pushing her hair back as she did. "You say it like you've been the same age since you last saw her. Like only she's been aging".

He laughed nervously, moving his eyes to the closed doors in front of him. She did work at Torchwood but it was still an iffy subject, Time Lords. They weren't supposed to exist anymore, besides himself. He sighed and leaned his head against the metal behind him.

"You know what I mean" he said, his voice trailing off.

"Are you an alien? Not the foreign country alien the outer space kind" she asked looking over at him.

"What? Why would you say that?" he asked turning his attention directly at her.

"Well, you just seem like you don't belong here, like this is some weird foreign place to you. Like for example, when you first showed those security guards your psychic paper your breathing rate increased. I've worked with aliens before, its nothing new to me if you are"

He looked straight ahead again. She was good, better than he expected. Being able to pick up simple details like his breathing increase and his… his psychic paper?

"How did you know it was psychic paper? You see what I want you to see" he said, turning to her again.

"I didn't know for sure until you just told me" she said, sticking her tongue between her teeth as she smiled. "It looked like blank paper from where I was standing and since the guards took it as you're credentials, I figured that it was psychic paper"

That smile, it was like looking at Rose with dark hair. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair "But it should have been credentials to you too".

"It's because of my father", she said standing upright as the doors began to open.

"Your father again, what's so special about your father then?" he asked, sounding a bit annoyed at the fact that she kept using the "f" word.

Amara turned around, crossing her arms across her chest. She spoke softly, like she was telling him a secret, a secret that everyone knew anyways. One specific word stuck out to him, a word that had, up until now, only been used to describe him and memories of home.

"Because my father is a Time Lord".


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

"Wait what?" he asked, taking a step towards her. Maybe he didn't hear her correctly or maybe he was hearing what he wanted to hear.

"It's because my father is a Time Lord", she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But that's impossible. Time Lords are… well there aren't anymore of them. You must be mistaken", he said, trying to rationalize his thoughts. He was the only Time Lord left, end of story. What she was saying was impossible.

"Yes, you're right. I must be lying" she said as she rolled her eyes. "I must be imagining my two hearts and the fact that I can regenerate. Yup, my overactive imagination is working up again, my mistake"

"You've… you've got two hearts?" he asked moving closer.

"Mhmm, two hearts. I'm beating out a Samba, that's what mum used to say" she smiled and his mind raced back to New Earth, then to the moment when Rose… well Cassandra had kissed him. It was like he could feel her lips on his again.

"John? Are you alright? I know it's a little hard to believe but you don't have to get all weird and dazed out on me", she said raising an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry" he said running a hand through his hair. He needed to calm down or… he looked down at his pants… bad things would happen. "But how can it be, you're father being a Time Lord?"

"Well, it's sort of a funny story only not really" she began, turning and moving down the hall. He kept close to her making sure to take in every word.

"Well there was the Time War, now if you know about the Time Lords then you probably know about the Time War right?" she asked, continuing after he nodded a couple times. "Right, well my father and a couple others, just before everything was destroyed, they escaped into this world through the umm…" she stopped for a moment to think. "…Through the void. They thought they closed it for good but obviously they didn't"

"How do you know that? That they didn't close it I mean?" he asked.

"Well if they had closed it for good, Mum and Uncle Mickey and Grams wouldn't be here", she replied simply.

"Well, what you're saying is a nice story for sure, but no Time Lord's survived the Time War" he said shaking his head.

"That's not true, the Doctor survived" she said matter-of-factly.

He froze. He expected her to know something about Rose's past but not him. He figured Rose wouldn't have mentioned him. He knew he never mentioned her, only on rare occasions when he something blurted out accidentally while he was rambling on about something or other to Martha.

"How do you know about the Doctor?" he asked quietly

"Well, its kind of silly" she said blushing slightly as she stopped and turned around so she was facing him. When I was little, right after my father left, Mum used to tell me stories about the Doctor and his companion and their adventures together. Traveling through time and space, saving the world as they went." She smiled and looked up to the Doctor who was positively beaming.

"You said you knew my mother when she was younger" she said taking a step towards him. "Did you know the Doctor?"

"I uh… did. Yes, yes I did" he stuttered softly.

"Did he love her?" she asked, moving closer to him. "See, the story ended with only his companion saying it" she stopped, standing less than half a foot from him. "If you knew him and my mother… then maybe you know if he loved her"

"That's difficult to answer. It's been such a long time…" he said with a sigh. The more he thought about it the more he smiled. "He loved her more than anything. He still does. He's never stopped loving her, thinking about her" he said, sadness in his eyes. Those words were some of the most difficult to get out, and him being the Doctor, that was really saying something. He didn't have any trouble getting any words out. They just sort of started flowing and didn't feel like stopping. He looked at Amara, looked her up and down. If she had blonde hair, she'd look exactly like Rose. The smile, the eyes, everything but the hair. He wanted to hold her, to feel like he was holding Rose again.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" she asked, giving him a strange look.

"Amara, what'd your father look like?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Well, from what I remember he had shaggy dark brown, almost black hair, bright blue eyes and he was kind of tallish short, maybe 5'8" - 5'9" she said slowly, trying to remember.

"What was his name?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

"I dunno, to me he was always Daddy. Why?", she said with a shrug.

"Just curious is all. Well, we'd better be off. Got people and planets to save right?" he said, bounding down the hall.

She looked at him oddly and followed slowly, muttering to herself as she went.

"Right… whatever you say Doctor".


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

"Alright so, this is my office and this" Amara said, pointing to the door next to hers. "Is yours. Any questions?"

"So this is what you do? Paperwork? Just paperwork?" he asked, giving her a slightly worried look. He couldn't be cooped up in the TARDIS for very long and she expected him to sit in an office.

"No, this is where we deal with the paperwork after our cases are completed" she said simply. "Please, do you really expect me to be the type of girl to sit in an office all day?"

"Well, no and I was hoping you weren't just in case" he said with a smile. "Your mother was never one to sit back and let someone else take control. I can see you're a lot like her"

"That's what everyone says. I've got dads hair, height, and hearts, moms smile, eyes, and stubbornness" she smiled. "But I think I got some of Grams stubbornness too"

The Doctor cringed. Jackie. I'd been a long time since he'd even though of her. It was always just Rose.

"How is the old girl doing?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, well… uh…" Amara struggled to find the words that were lost in her mind. She hated thinking about her family and where they were now. "She died a few years back"

"I'm so sorry Amara" he said frowning. He hadn't realized just how long he'd been away. It had only been a few years for him but what seemed like a lifetime for Rose. His mind raced back to something Reinette had said, "Stuck on the slow path" and it was now that he really knew what she meant, that it had come into his reality. Rose was on the slow path while he… well he was alone.

"Its alright, she lived a long life and she died peacefully. I think she's in a better place anyways" Amara said with a small smile. It still hurt to think about her grandmother dying but everyone died, that's what made life important.

"That's good. I'm sure she's happy there. All the phone time she could ever ask for" he said reassuringly.

"Well" she said, changing the subject yet again, not able to hide the apparent smile on her face. Her grandmother did love talking on the phone. "Shall we see what's in store for us today?" She moved into her office and hopped up onto her desk, snatching the file next to her right leg. She opened it up with one hand, grabbing her glasses with other. She slid them on and let her eyes scan the page and frowned.

"Something wrong?" he asked moving towards her, leaning over to look at the file.

"The stupid rift. Keeps emitting all sorts of signals to random ships across the galaxy. This week its this" She reached behind the paper to pull out a picture of what seemed to be a rather large smooth metal spaceship.

"Ah, that rift. Always trouble, always and forever going to be trouble" he said frowning. "So what first?"

"Well, first we get to Cardiff and take some readings, then with my latest invention, we stop the signals and hopefully divert the ship to some other galaxy. If not, we have to stop it" she said simply.

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?" he said with a smile. He watched her turn and move off her desk and around to the back, grabbing a coat from her chair.

"Well, better get moving then. Best nip this in the butt quickly before we have another repeat of the Christmas invasion" she said as she slipped her coat on.

The Doctor smiled to himself at the thought of the Christmas invasion, memories of the event swirling through his mind, flashes of Rose and him with his newly regenerated look. He didn't notice Amara staring at him.

"Were you there too? Mostly why I know so much about it is because Mum told me and her story coincides with Torchwood records" she said, still staring at him.

"Well yes, I was there. You're mother was very brave and patient to be able to cope with me. I changed a lot that day" he said with a sigh. "Nothing was the same after that".

Amara looked away and smiled to herself, speaking softly. "She always said everything was so different yet still the same, especially with the Doctor. Her feelings stayed the same". Her voice trailed off and she realized she was babbling. "Sorry, best be off".

"Yes, quite right. Got a planet to save after all" he said with a grin.

Amara smiled and moved out of her office, stopping so he could catch up.

"This is another of my inventions. Gets you anywhere in the world in less than five minutes, well anywhere in the world that we're connected to. Right now its just to Cardiff and Paris but we're working on getting it to the States soon" she said with a smile, pushing open a door on her right.

"You're a very smart girl Amara, has anyone ever told you that?" he asked, his quirky sarcasm apparent.

"Why no, you're the first" She replied with a smirk, the Rose smirk that made him melt.

"Just down a couple flights of stairs and we'll be there" she added.

He followed her down the stairs, moving quickly to keep up with her pace. She really was her mothers daughter. She showed the same enthusiasm Rose had for exploring and learning new things. A couple minutes later they came to a stop in front of a large set of silver doors.

"Now, I'm warning you now, it's going to feel a little strange at first but it'll be over before you know it" She said with a grin as she pushed through the doors into a brightly lit room.

"Right…" he said quietly. He'd never seen anything like this… this… whatever it was. "Its beautiful. You designed this?"

"And helped build it. It's some of my best work, if I do say so myself" She said with a smile, admiring her work as well. "So, ready to give this baby a spin?"

"Of course, just get in?" he asked, rocking back and forth on his heals.

"Well, first you get in, buckle up, safety first you know, and then shut your eyes and once the machine tells you to open, we'll be in Cardiff" she said, stepping into the small car. When she didn't hear anyone coming in after her, she poked her head out again. "Well? You coming or do I have to save the planet all by my lonesome?"

"I'm coming" he said, moving into the car quickly. He looked around at the spacious interior and soon realized that it was much bigger on the inside than the out. "Just like the TARDIS" he whispered to himself.

"What was that?" She asked, looking over her shoulder as she clicked her buckle into place.

"Nothing, nothing at all" he said as he sat down, mimicking her movements. A few seconds later a soothing voice sounded from a speaker above him.

"Now just sit back and relax. Systems say everyone's buckled and ready to go so close your eyes and enjoy the ride. You'll be arriving at your destination of Cardiff in three minutes and thirty four seconds"

The Doctor shut his eyes and as soon as he did he felt the car jolt into motion, moving quickly to their final destination.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

It was a strange feeling, riding in that machine, something he'd never really experienced before. Even when the TARDIS had somehow malfunctioned it didn't feel like that. When the soothing voice sounded again he opened his eyes and watched as Amara undid her buckle then turn around to look at him.

"It's a rush isn't it?" she asked with a smile. "You might want to sit when you get out. Most people get a little nauseous after their first trip, but it'll pass in a few minutes, don't worry" she added.

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about" he said as he stood. He realized as soon as he took his first step that he should have listened, a nauseous, stomach clenching feeling overcoming him. He reached for the wall to keep his balance then felt a warm, tingly sensation on his side. He turned his head to look at Amara, who had placed her hands on him, was now standing at his side.

"Just over here John, there's a seat right here" she said, her hands still around his waist to help him move.

He moved towards the seat slowly, grateful that she was there to support him. His mind raced as he moved his arm over her shoulders to better keep his balance. When he moved his arm around her, he unintentionally pulled her closer. His eyes closed and for a moment he was there with Rose, in every way. The way she moved, smelled, spoke, held him was identical to the way Rose had all those years ago. He opened his eyes when he felt her slide her hands back and a frown appeared on his face.

"Water?" she asked, reaching behind him to a cabinet behind the chair. She pulled out two bottles of water and held one out to him, which he gratefully took.

"Thanks" he said as he pulled off the cap. He let the cold water fill his mouth then swallowed, taking a deep breath afterwards.

"Just let me know when you're ready and we'll be off" she said, taking a slow sip of her own water. She leaned back and crossed her legs, picking at a hole in her jeans just above her knee. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, occasionally taking a sip. She was right. The feeling was gone almost as quickly as it came. He stood up and held out his hand for her.

"Ready when you are" he said as he tossed his empty water bottle into the trash. She pulled herself up and smiled, pulling her hair back and securing it with a hair elastic.

"Hopefully we won't have to deal with anything but the equipment but I'm not going to hold my breath" she said with a sigh.

He nodded and walked along side her thinking to himself. Why hadn't it occurred to him before? He was in the same world as Rose, he could easily find her, see her again. But would it be the same? She had moved on, found someone else, had a child, grown old, and there he was, same as the day she left. He didn't know if he could handle a dying Rose, knowing that if she died that was it, he'd never be able to see her again. Thoughts swirled around his mind for a little while longer until they were interrupted by a rapid beeping noise coming from whatever was in Amaras hand. He looked at the device then to her face, at the look of worry that had suddenly replaced any sign of happiness. It only lasted a second but he caught it.

"That bad?" he asked, knowing what her answer would be.

"Think of how very bad something could be and multiply it by a million. I think it's definitely gonna be a repeat of the Christmas invasion" she said shaking her head. He tilted his head slightly. He could tell she was scared, her pulse had started racing but the look her face was calm, like she wasn't worried about a thing in the world.

"Well, it'll be alright. You're an expert and I'm an expert on situations like this so everything will be under control" he said with a smile. Instinctly he took her hand in his; it is after all what he did when Rose was in scared/panic mode.

"My mother did that" she said with a small smile, turning to look up at him. "Hold my hand when I started to panic or when I was scared".

"Your mothers a smart cookie" He said, returning her smile. "Anyone ever tell you that you look almost exactly like her?"

"Every day" she said, her smile growing. "But with dark hair" they said at the same time.

Before either of them could say another word, a loud scream echoed in the distance, muffling the loud beeping of Amaras tool. They looked at each other and started sprinting towards the scream. Every few feet another scream joined the first and an ear splitting roar sounded as they turned the corner. Amara stopped in her tracks, her mouth dropping at the scene. In the distance she could see the smooth space ship hovering about 50 feet above the ground. The scene in front of her was one that she had only dreamed, horrible nightmares that haunted her.

"Plan?" he asked taking in the scene as well.

"Um, yeah" she said, taking a deep breath. "Distract and divert" She said, shooting off into the crowd.

"Amara wait!" the Doctor yelled, running after her. Was she insane? She was going to get herself killed doing this. He couldn't let that happen, he owed that much to Rose to not let her only child go, get hurt, maybe die, regardless of the regeneration. Up ahead he could see Amara take a sharp turn, the huge beast like creatures that had come off the ship following. He ran in that direction, hoping more than anything that she had a plan for when she got them away from the crowd. He yanked out his sonic screwdriver and followed them down an alley. He watched Amara jump up onto a fire escape and one of the creatures do the same. The other two seemed to be stuck inside a force field. 'Good girl Amara, good girl' he thought to himself as he came closer to the scene. He felt a warm drop fall onto his cheek, causing terror to fill him. He looked up and saw Amara struggling to get free from the creature that seemed to have a firm hold of her leg. Just above where it had her he saw long gash, her jeans ripped and blood flowing freely from the wound.

"Amara!" He yelled up to her. She looked down at him and took a deep breath, still struggling to free herself, with noticeably less strength. He looked up at the creature trying to pull Amara down, looking at his companions occasionally. He held up his sonic screwdriver. The fire escape made a loud groaning noise and the ladder it was climbing came loose and fell along with the creature and Amara. He followed Amaras path as she fell and held out his arms, catching her with a soft groan. The creature hit the ground with a loud thud followed by a metallic bang from the ladder. He used the screwdriver to extend the force field so it covered all three and turned his attention back to Amara who had lost consciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

A soft, consistent, beeping noise rang in Amaras ears. She stirred slightly and opened her eyes, looking around the brightly lit room slowly. After a second she recognized the room she was in. All the rooms at the Hospital section of Torchwood were the same. In the corner, sleeping soundly was the Doctor, curled up awkwardly in one of the chairs. She smiled and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. The last thing she remembered was looking down at John then everything going dark. It took her a second to register what she had really seen back in the alley. The sonic screw driver. She smiled and watched him sleep, resting her head on her knees. Everything was starting to add up, the name, the psychic paper, the sonic screw driver, and the obvious love he had for her mother. He had to be the Doctor. When he started to wake up, she jumped at the chance to know for sure.

"Morning sunshine" she said casually, leaning back against her pillows.

"Morning. How're you feeling?" he asked, moving over to her side. He yawned softly then took her hand in his. "Thought I'd lost you for a second"

"Can't get rid of me that easily Doctor" she said with a smile. "Everything squared away with Torchwood?"

"As far as I know everything's been taken care of and…" he paused and dropped her hand. "What did you say?"

She sat up and looked into his eyes, a smile spreading across her face. "Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out? That you were the Doctor?" she asked.

"Well I uh… well I don't know what you're talking about" he replied, looking away from her. Even looking at the floor he could still feel her eyes on him.

"Oh come off it. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Stop playing games" she said, her eyes still on him. "Look at me and tell me you're not the Doctor".

He turned around, his eyes on her but not her eyes. "I'm not the Doctor".

"Alright fine" she said. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and moved, with some difficulty because of her leg, out the door.

"Amara wait!" he yelled, standing up and moving to follow her. "Where are you going?"

He followed her closely, repeating his question. She made her way down a corridor and through a door, down some stairs and finally stopped at the end of a short hallway.

"If you won't say it to me, maybe you'll say it to her" she said turning the corner. She stopped in front of a door and moved a little out of the way so he could see through the tiny window. His heart started to race as he moved closer. Even in her old age she was still as beautiful as ever but he could see the sadness in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes that used to sparkle with excitement and adventure, oh how he loved those eyes. And her smile, the smile was still there. He could feel it, that same feeling he always got when she smiled.

"Amara, what's wrong with her?" he asked softly. Amara stood silently for a few moments, watching her mother.

"It's complicated. I don't really understand it myself" she said quietly. He put a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to tell him.

"I've got time if you're willing to tell me" he said, his gaze shifting to Amara. She looked at her mother one last time and then up at him.

"Nothing. There's nothing physically wrong with her. Never has been, but looking at her tells you otherwise" she said quietly. "She's been like that for as long as I can remember but a couple years ago when Grams died it got worse. It was like all of a sudden she gave up fighting".

"But you don't believe that do you? That there's nothing wrong with her" he said, lifting her chin so she was looking at him. She shook her head and looked back at her mother.

"When I was little, I remember waking up in the middle of the night all the time. Always the same thing woke me. A soft muffled noise coming from my mother's room. Whenever I'd ask her about it she told me I was dreaming and change the subject" she said, her gaze dropping to the floor. "One night I got up and went to her room to see what the noise really was. I remember being confused when I opened her door and went to her bed. I didn't understand why she was crying, why she was so sad, so I asked her"

Amara stopped, tears falling down her cheeks slowly. He reached forward and wiped just under her eyes, brushing some of her hair out of the way. She looked up at him and took a slow, deep breath.

"She just sort of looked at me, tears running down her cheeks, and all I could think of was how badly I wanted to make her happy, just take the sadness and hurt away so she didn't have to cry anymore" she said, pausing again. "She reached out for me so I climbed into bed and held her, repeating that it would be okay, everything would be okay over and over again. She kept saying that her heart was breaking".

He stood silently, listening to her story. That sadness, the same sadness in Rose's eyes, he could see in Amaras. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest. He couldn't help but feel that she was dying because of him. He clenched his eyes shut as a tear slid down his cheek and dropped onto the top of Amaras head. She looked up at him and took a tiny step back, reaching up as she did. She ran her fingers gently under his eyes, wiping away another tear that had started to fall.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the lovely folk at BBC do

He took a deep breath and looked at Rose through the tiny window again as Amara continued. He couldn't help but feel the pain she was going through. Having to watch her mother die slowly then look in the mirror to see someone almost identical to her mother staring back.

"How can you tell a doctor that someone's dying of a broken heart?" she asked softly. "That she's not physically dying but she's just giving up on any hope? How can you live knowing that as much as you tried, you couldn't make up for the absence of someone she loved so much".

"Amara, your mother loved you more than anything. I think that if you weren't around, she would have given up a long time ago" he said quietly, looking back at Amara.

She shook her head as a fresh batch of tears fell down her cheeks. "I don't think so. Her face lit up whenever she'd tell me stories of her adventures with you. It was only then that you could see the happiness in her eyes, in her face. I could never get that expression out of her when it was just me, no matter what I did" she said softly.

"Don't think that. I know Rose, and I know she would love her child more than life itself, more than me" he said, wiping under her eyes.

"Could you do me a favor?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Anything, anything you want" he replied, smiling.

"Will you make her happy one last time?" she asked, looking through the window at her mother. "Let her go knowing you really did love her?"

He paused for a second then nodded silently. She reached for the door knob and pushed the door open. She stepped inside the room but he couldn't follow her. He froze. He'd been dreaming of this moment since he last saw Rose and now it was really happening and he was terrified. The door shut behind Amara and now all he could do was wait and listen.

Amara smiled at her mother and walked over to her bed. She sat down and took her hand.

"Hi mum. Feeling any better?" she asked quietly.

"The same", Rose said quietly. She took a deep breath and looked at her daughter, a small smile appearing on her lips. "I'm glad to see you love"

"I'm glad to see you too mum", she said, tears falling down her cheeks again.

"Mara, why are you crying? What's made you so upset?" Rose asked as she wiped a tear from Amara's cheek.

"It's nothing, just happy to see you" Amara said, trying to smile. "Someone's here that wants to see you. I think you'll be happy to see him".

"Amara, you know I don't want anyone to see me like this. I don't want to waste the time we've got left together" she said, leaning back against her pillows.

"Please? He's been waiting a long time to see you again mum" she said standing up.

Rose sighed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Alright" she said quietly.

Amara took a deep breath and went to the door then pulled it open. She looked out at the Doctor who had taken a seat across the hall while he waited. She noticed his heart rate increase slightly and his hands start to shake. She gave him a small, encouraging smile and reached her hand out to him. "She wants to see you" she said.

He gulped and took a few shaky steps forward. The color started to drain from his face and his hearts beat rapidly as she pulled the door open for him to come in. He stopped a few feet inside the room and looked at Rose who had her eyes closed. He smiled as tears started to cloud his eyes.

"Hello Rose" he said softly. She opened her eyes and looked him up and down, placing a hand on her chest.

"Doctor?" she said sitting up again. She took a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut. "I'm dreaming again"

"'Fraid not Rose" he said moving a few steps closer. "It's been a while"

"Yes it has" she said, tears flowing down her cheeks. She looked at Amara, who was also crying silently in the corner. "I've missed you so much. I'm sorry I got old".

"No matter how old you still look beautiful Rose. As beautiful as the day we first met" he said as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I tried so hard" she said, choking back tears. "I tried so hard to find a way back to you but….".

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now" he said, wrapping his arms around her. He moved closer, next to her ear so he could whisper. "I know I didn't get to say it before but I did Rose, I really did love you more than anything. I still do and I will forever"

She smiled and took a deep breath as she whispered back. "I know". She shut her eyes and took one last deep breath. "I've always loved you, and I always will". She looked over at Amara and mouthed one last "I love you so much" before she shut her eyes and let go. The soft constant beeping of the hospital equipment was replaced with a monotone beep then after a few seconds stopped entirely, the screens all going black.

Amara shook silently, pulling her knees up to her chest as she cried. The doctor set Rose back against her pillows gently, crying along with Amara. He stood up and went over to her then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He whispered quietly as he rubbed her back. "It'll be okay, everything'll be okay".

The day of the funeral was a day to remember. Everyone from Torchwood along with everyone else Rose had come into contact with in this world crowded inside the church, then to the burial. Amara stood silently beside the Doctor who held her close the entire time. Both spoke at the memorial and when the coffin was lowered they placed two white Roses on top. They watched as the grave was filled and her tombstone set on top. Amara smiled as she read it out loud.

"Rose Tyler, defender of the universe. Loved by all. I think she'd be happy if she were here to read it" she added.

"I think so too" he said, smiling. "So what's next for you?"

"I'm not sure" She said with a soft sigh. "I'm all alone now".

"Well, if you'd like" he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You could come with me, have some adventures of your own. I think she would have wanted you to feel what it's like"

Amara stood silently, smiling as she knelt down. She pulled a red rose from the inside of her jacket and set it on her Mothers grave then stood up. "I'd like that" she said quietly.

The doctor smiled and took one last look at Rose's grave, whispering a final 'I love you' before taking Amaras hand and leading her back to the TARDIS to the next adventure that lay ahead for the two.

The end.


End file.
